deposition

[dep-uh-zish-uhn, dee-puh-]

noun

1. removal from an office or position.

2. the act or process of depositing.

   deposition of the documents with the Library of Congress.

3. the state of being deposited or precipitated.

   deposition of soil at the mouth of a river.

4. something that is deposited.

5. Law.

   1. the giving of testimony under oath.

   2. the testimony so given.

   3. a statement under oath, taken down in writing, to be used in court in place of the spoken testimony of the witness.

6. Ecclesiastical.

   1. the interment of the body of a saint.

   2. the reinterment of the body or the relics of a saint.

7. (initial capital letter),  a work of art depicting Christ being lowered from the Cross.

deposition

¹

/ ˌdiːpə-, ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. law

   1. the giving of testimony on oath

   2. the testimony so given

   3. the sworn statement of a witness used in court in his absence

2. the act or instance of deposing

3. the act or an instance of depositing

4. something that is deposited; deposit

Deposition

²

/ ˌdiːpə-, ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. the taking down of Christ's body from the Cross or a representation of this

deposition

1. The accumulation or laying down of matter by a natural process, as the laying down of sediments in a river or the accumulation of mineral deposits in a bodily organ.

2. The process of changing from a gas to a solid without passing through an intermediate liquid phase. Carbon dioxide, at a pressure of one atmosphere, undergoes deposition at about −78 degrees Celsius.

3. Compare sublimation

Other Word Forms

• depositional adjective
• postdepositional adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deposition¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin dēpositiōn-, stem of dēpositiō “a putting aside, testimony, burial,” equivalent to Latin dēposit(us) “laid down” ( deposit ) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of deposition¹

C14: from Late Latin dēpositiō a laying down, disposal, burying, testimony

Example Sentences

Hurst was terminally ill at the time of his deposition, the complaint notes, and died by the end of the year before an evidentiary hearing.

From Los Angeles Times

Earlier this week, he ordered Lake to provide sworn testimony at a deposition and threatened to hold her in contempt for going against court orders.

From Los Angeles Times

The judge also ordered Lake to sit for a deposition, where she would be questioned by lawyers.

From BBC

During a prior investigation by the SEC into Musk's purchase of Twitter, he gave two depositions - with mystery surrounding whether he appeared at a further interview.

From BBC

In a court filing, the lawyers included a deposition they took of an L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affidavit 
• allegation 
• announcement 
• evidence 
• testimony